Fire Can Heal
by snowflakes.at.dawn
Summary: Tsukino is a strange teenager, living in the South Pole with his stepbrother Sokka and his step-sister Katara, even though he's... not used to the cold. Tsuki's odd past and both the enemies and allies he'd made come back to haunt him. How will he react, and what will he do? Zuko/Male OC. Rated T for violence, language, and bad memories.
1. Chapter 1

Hey! So this is my first fic on this account, and my other fic was really bad so i just use that account for reading fanfics. This is an Avatar the Last Airbender story, with the OC being shipped with Zuko, but that will happen much later. Please read and review, because I really need creative criticism! Thanks, and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1

The pristine snow of the South Pole fell slowly onto the ground covered with a soft blanket of white, eliciting a soft sigh of happiness from the teenager standing in the quiet of the evening. Tsukino shivered pleasantly in the cool air, his fur-clad torso shaking slightly. Tsuki loved days like this, when everything was so quiet that you could hear everything, from the clack of ice floes hitting each other to the movements of the creature that had been following him for the greater part of an hour. He sighed once more, resigning himself to doing the work he had sworn to do, and unslung a spear from his belt, designed to pierce the thick scales of those inhabiting the waters of the South Pole. He held it at the ready, waiting for the creature to show itself. About ten minutes passed, and eventually the creature tired of waiting and in a spray of white scales, designed to hide amongst the masses of ice, an enormous serpent erupted out of the water and lunged towards Tsuki. The brown-haired teenager backed up a step, and his spear tip burst into bright orange flames that spiraled along the spearhead and caused the serpent to flail back. Tsuki calmed himself with a breath and thrust his arm forwards, creating a spiral of flame that erupted out of his palm and twisted towards the creature. It didn't make contact with the creature's scales, however; it just hovered around the writhing serpent and induced its heat upon the creature. Feeling the subtle warning from Tsuki, the white serpent reared its head and dived back into the frigid water, creating an enormous splash that soaked the young male. The brunette teenager sighed in relief, and slumped down onto the ground, drawing back the remnants of the energy into his body. He sat for a few minutes, calming himself and leveling his breathing, before he stood back up and started walking back to the Southern Water Tribe camps. His feet crunched through the freshly disturbed snow at the camp's entrance, and a form stood waiting for him. Tsuki sighed.

"Katara, how many times do I have to tell you, I can take care of myself!"

"Well I'll tell you again and I'll tell you a hundred times more, next time bring someone else in case you get hurt!" The female Waterbende retorted, drawing closer and crossly staring at Tsuki.

"It's my job to dissuade predators; nobody else should have to take that risk."

"But still, at least take someone to watch from afar and get help if you need it!"

The two benders states at each other, before Tsuki sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine. I'll take someone next time…" he paused. "Thanks for looking out for me," he continued in a quieter tone. Katara drew him close and hugged him, and the two of them stood there for a moment, until Katara broke the embrace and grabbed his shoulders.

"I know it's been hard since you got back, but you'll always be our brother, even though we have different dads." Tsuki and Katara shared the same mother, but Tsuki's father was a fire bender from the Fire Nation, from who he gained his firebending abilities. The circumstances of Tsuki's birth were… odd, but Katara still saw him as an older brother. Tsuki shook his head, clearing his mind.

"Let's not think about the past; let's live in the present and enjoy what we have," Tsuki told her, brushing away the dark webs that clouded his usually clear mind. He started walking farther into the camp, and Katara followed him.

"Haha, you sound like an old man. Seriously, you're so positive sometimes, it makes you not sound like a 17-year-old." Katara teased, nudging Tsuki's shoulder playfully. "Anyway, Sokka and I are going out to fish. We'll be back in a few hours, so stay here and protect everyone in case something happens."

"Be careful out there, and make sure Sokka doesn't get out of control," Tsuki told the waterbender, continuing farther into the village and leaving his sister to find his brother. He looked at the sun and saw that it was just starting to reach the very highest point in the sky.

"Guess it's time to meditate!" Tsuki thought to himself as he entered his snow hut, a small but cozy structure made of ice and snow, with a bed and chest in one corner and a thick blanket laid on the other side of the hut. He unlocked the chest and pulled out six candles made from the blubber of shark-seals and arranged them around his seated form on the blanket. One by one he lit them with his bending and closed his eyes.

Tsuki inhaled, feeling the flames of the candles flicker and grow with each breath. The fire snaked through his consciousness and he entered a state of peaceful meditation, feeling the fire and its life flow through him. The fire was alive; it's breath flowed through him and energized his very core. All of a sudden, his peaceful meditation was interrupted by sounds of chatter and discussion from outside. He opened his eyes and exhaled, all of the flames suddenly flickering out. He stood up, his joints creaking from sitting for so long, and exited the small ice structure.

"Alright, what's going on? Is Katara back?" Tsuki asked the crowd, which appeared to be the entire village. The crowd parted to reveal Katara and Sokka standing with a young boy of about twelve, with a tattoo of a blue arrow on his forehead, and a wood staff in his hand. Tsuki opened his mouth to ask again, but a roar shook th3 his air before he could speak. A large beast with snow-white fur and an arrow on its head landed next to the boy in a flurry of snow, and Tsuki automatically took a defensive stance, his hands ready to summon flame. Katara rushed over and pushed his arm down, releasing some of the tension in his body.

"Tsuki, calm down! The sky bison is his friend. Tsuki, this is Aang. Aang, this is Tsuki, my brother." Katara said, looking between them. Tsuki relaxed, holding out his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Aang! I'm kinda the peace-keeper around here, so don't be stirring up too much trouble!" Tsuki laughed, shaking hands with the boy. "So, what brings you to our area of the South Pole?"

"I'm just… passing through, that's all." Aang said, glancing away from Tsuki. Tsuki could tell that he was lying, but decided not to act upon it. If the stranger wanted to keep his secrets, Tsuki wouldn't pry. Tsuki was familiar with secrets.

"Uh, the three of us can show you around the village if you want," Tsuki offered, gesturing towards Katara and Sokka.

* * *

TIME SKIP

* * *

"And that's pretty much the entire village!" Tsuki finished. The tour hadn't taken very long, as the village was very small. They walked back to the village center, answering Aang's many questions, and watched Sokka talk to the children.

"Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe! And that means no potty breaks!" He shouted, which made Tsuki stifle a laugh.

"But I really gotta go!" The child replied, holding his bladder and crossing his legs.

"Fine, okay, who else has to go?" At this every child raised their hand. Sokka sighed and let them leave; it was obvious that he couldn't control them alone. As the children slowly walked towards the toilet cave, Aang emerged from the ice cave.

"Everything freezes in there!" He laughed, causing a symphony of laughter from the children.

"Katara, get him out of here! This lesson is for warriors only!" Sokka started walking away in frustration, only to be stopped by a loud squeal from one of the children. Tsuki observed the children sliding around and climbing on Appa, and Sokka ran towards the children and Aang.

"Stop! Stop it right now!" He chased the children away, and grabbed his spear from where it lay. "What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with the war going on!"

"What war?" Aang asked, looking genuinely confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka answered. Tsuki was confused. Aang looked like what the village elders had described as an Airbender, but all of the temples had been massacred, according to Gran-Gran from her past, which she wouldn't talk about. The kid also didn't know about the war that had been raging for the past century! The fragments of information were starting to connect, but he was still confused on what the end result would be. He brushed away the train of thought and took Sokka's arm as Aang chased a penguin.

"Sokka, sometimes the kids need to be in high spirits to actually learn and pay attention. Be a bit kinder, and I think they will respond well." Tsuki told his brother, patiently trying to explain the situation.

"Ugh, fiiine, I'll try to be nicerrrr…" He trailed off. Katara had followed Aang, and the two of them started penguin-sledding. "Well, I guess it's back to training!" He sauntered off, gathering the children and teaching them more about the art of fighting, which had never appealed to Tsuki. He always felt the burn of fire deep within him that urged him to fight, but he appeased it by not harming creatures and those attacking the village, but only warding them away and giving them a warning. Tsuki thought back to the one and only time he had ever killed a human.

* * *

Flashback

A 12-year-old Tsuki stood in the brig of a ship, heading towards the Fire Nation's capital. The other inhabitants of the prison cell included a dirty, grimy man who was imprisoned for trying to steal the captain's gold, and an infant whose mother, a criminal, had died. Tsuki kept the infant cradled in his arms, and every once in a while fed him a part of a chewed-up strip of old jerky that had become too hard for the crew to eat. The man in the corner watched him with one unblinking eye, while the other socket stared into nothingness. Trying to ease the tension, Tsuki tried to start polite conversation.

"Uh, hello sir, how are you today?" He asked the man, trying to make a friend. The man's lips moved, but no words came out. He repeated the gesture multiple times, and Tsuki concentrated enough to read his lips. The man was repeated the word "hungry" over and over.

"Um, I just gave the last of the jerky to the baby. It won't be long till they feed us, I think." He stated hopefully. The man's eyes travelled the room, and lingered upon the baby's mouth, still chewing the last of the jerky. His arms spasmed and he jerked upwards, flailing his arms and grabbing the baby's mouth. He pried open the infant's mouth and began scooping out the mashed-up jerky as the baby choked and struggled. Tsuki sat there, fear written all over his face, and flailed back. He could see that if he didn't do something soon, the baby would choke to death. He jerked forward and his arm lit up with orange flame. The haggard man looked up, and in the split second before contact, Tsuki saw the primal fear and hunger etched into his features. Then the moment passed, and Tsuki's closed fist made contact with the man's face. Flames spiraled up his arm and blistered and burned the man's face, and the flew backwards with a horrible silent scream. The flames arced through the man's body, and he shuddered once and fell still. Tsuki scooped up the crying infant and cleared his airway, then huddled in the tiny prison cell, covered in blood and waiting for his new life in the Fire Nation capital.

Flashback End

* * *

Tsuki still shuddered at the horrible memory, but turned his mind to the present in favor of forgetting the past for that moment. At that moment, he noticed a bright orange flare light up the sky and send a message to all who could see it. The village gathered at the entrance, all looking up at the flare lighting up their faces in the first stage of the sunset. Nobody spoke, although everyone was thinking the same thing; Aang and Katara set off the flare, either by accident or by purpose, and the Fire Nation navy was going to find them. Tsuki was in favor of by accident, but by the look on Sokka's face, he was clearly ready to attack Aang. When the duo crested the snowy hill, the children ran forwards to Aang and huddled around him. Sokka marched forwards.

"I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?!" Sokka shouted at the boy.

"Aang didn't do anything! It was an accident!" Katara protested firmly.

"Yeah! We were on the ship and there was this booby trap and well, we booby-ed right into it." Aang chimed in, looking sheepish.

"Katara, you shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we're all in danger!" Gran-Gran scolded, looking both stern and fearful.

"Don't blame Katara, I brought her there! It's my fault," Aang confessed, looking down.

"Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy!" Sokka called, and the children reluctantly broke away from Aang.

"Sokka, calm down. What Aang did wasn't… right, but we've all made mistakes. Most of us here are still children, even I myself am only 17. Everyone, start hiding yourselves in the emergency shelters, and get your emergency kits.

"The foreigner is banished from our village!" Sokka ignored Tsuki, only focusing on Aang.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake!" Katara cried.

"No, I'm keeping my promise to Dad. I'm protecting you from threats like him!"

"Aang is not our enemy! Don't you see? Aang has brought us something we haven't had in a long time; fun!" Katara reasoned. Tsuki was starting to get hints of anger at being ignored, but he pushed away the dark feelings.

"Fun?! You can't fight Firebenders with fun!" Sokka protested.

"You should try it sometime!" Even in the face of expulsion, Aang was still making jokes. Tsuki admired him for that.

"Get out of our village. Now!" Sokka shouted, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Grandmother, please, don't let Sokka do this! Tsuki, help!" Katara pleaded.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden. Sokka is right. I think it's best if the Airbender leaves." Gran-Gran stated, siding with Sokka.

"Everyone, calm down. We need to focus on the threat at hand; the Firebenders. Everyone, please evacuate and we may be safe!" Tsuki told the crowd, and while a small portion dispersed, everyone else stayed.

"Fine! Then I'm banished too! C'mon Aang, let's go!" Katara grabbed Aang's arm and began marching off.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Sokka shouted after them, looking both angry and distraught.

"Katara, at least take time to think about this! We're in the middle of a possible attack! Why does nobody listen to me?" Tsuki asked, nobody paying attention.

"We're going to find a Waterbender! Aang is taking me to the North Pole!"

"I am? Cool!" Aang smiled, despite the circumstance.

"Katara! Would you really choose him over your tribe?" Sokka asked, making Katara stop for a second. "Your own family?" There was a moment of silence as Katara stood still, thinking.

"Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family." Aang marched forwards, climbing onto Appa.

"So you're leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?" Katara asked sadly, dipping her head. Tsuki started gathering all of the children and elderly, and walked them to the shelters, leaving behind the crowd. When he came back, Aang was gone.

* * *

SLIGHT TIME SKIP

* * *

The Water Tribe was gearing up for war. The only non-children males, Sokka and Tsuki, wore light battle armor and Tsuki had a glaive strapped to his back, but Tsuki was hoping he wouldn't have to fight. Sokka had a boomerang strapped to his belt, and soon the two of them stood on the snow walls and watchtowers, scanning the misty seas for any signs of movement. Tsuki turned to survey the camp; most people were hiding, but a few people, including Gran-Gran and a couple of children, continued to work. Everyone gasped, and Tsuki quickly spun around, helmet held between his torso and arm, and took a battle stance as the gigantic prow of a Fire Navy ship burst out of the mist and split the ice, crashing into the wall and sending Sokka down to the ground in a flurry of loose snow. The ship hissed, steam rising off of it, and everyone stood silent, preparing for the inevitable. Everyone gasped again as the prow unlocked and fell downwards, creating a bridge from the ship to the ground. Both Sokka and Tsuki took battle stances, as a teenager about the same age as Tsuki walked down the bride, helmet and armor guarding him from harm. Tsuki stiffened as he saw the face.

"There's no way; why would he be here? He should be looking for… the Avatar… oh." The pieces connected; if the past Avatar had died, then the current airbender would be an Airbender, and the last Airbender was Aang. Aang was the Avatar! Tsuki hurriedly put on his helmet, obscuring the main features of his face in the hopes that the banished prince wouldn't remember him. Zuko and his entourage of three Firebenders and three soldiers finished walking down the bridge, and Sokka rushed forwards, screaming at the top of his lungs, and in a flash Zuko kicked the weapon out of Sokka's hands and knocked him aside, off of the bridge. Tsuki stood in front of the people and Zuko, and Zuko gestured for his warriors to take away Tsuki. They jumped forwards, and in a burst of fire sent Tsuki running for a different, secluded spot to fight the benders. He reached a spot sheltered by a snow dune, and unsheathed his glaive. He jumped forwards as the Firebenders turned the corner, and caught the first one by surprise. The small sword blade at the end of the polearm ripped through the thin leather of the Bender's armor, and sank into the soft flesh beneath. A scream erupted from the man's helmet, and he sank to the floor. Tsuki was careful not to kill him, but he still flinched when the man screamed. The other two Bender's shot bursts of flame at him, and one caught his sleeve, setting it alight. He quickly extinguished the flame, and hit one of the other Benders in the head with the butt of his glaive. It hit his temple with a crack and he fell limp on the ground. The last Firebender caught Tsuki's leg with a gout of flame, and pain laced through his calf. He finished the last bender with another stab of his glaive, and limped back to the camp, being careful not to put any weight on the injured leg. He came back to see Sokka rushing Zuko from behind, yelling a war cry. Zuko dodged him, and Sokka flipped over and landed in a heap in the snow. He dodged a burst of flame, and threw his boomerang. It nearly hit Zuko, but he leaned back just in time. The two of them stared at each other, until a voice spoke up.

"Show no fear!" One of the children tossed Sokka a spear, and he rushed Zuko again. This time Tsuki rushed in from behind as well, his glaive ready to knock the prince down. Zuko broke Sokka's spear with a quick upwards thrust, and snapped the shaft in two. Tsuki's glaive caught him in the shoulder; while he could have aimed for the heart, he couldn't bring himself to kill the banished prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko flailed forwards, the weight put behind the thrust setting him off balance. Sokka's thrown boomerang smacked Zuko in the back of the head, and he fell to the ground. The three regular soldiers surrounded Tsuki, and he was forced back a few steps as the spears jabbed from all directions.

"Why didn't you kill him? He didn't see you! You could have done it!" Sokka shouted at Tsuki, grabbing a new spear from a nearby rack. By now Zuko had gotten back up, and was ready to fight. Tsuki decided to stay quiet so that Zuko couldn't recognize his voice. All of a sudden a rumble of snow was heard and Aang, riding on a penguin, slid down the slope and crashed into Zuko's legs, sending him tumbling to the floor once more.

"Aang!" The children cheered, and the adults watched in shock.

"Thanks for coming, Aang!" Tsuki said as he fell back to the group. Zuko stood back up, and gestured for his men to surround them. The three guards and two of the Firebenders, who had returned, circled the small group of warriors. Aang took a breath and in a flash of his staff, sent waves of snow to cover the men surrounding him.

"Looking for me?" Aang asked Zuko, standing defiantly with his staff at the ready.

"You're the Airbender? You're the Avatar?!" Zuko asked in disbelief. Tsuki heard murmurs of shock from around him, but he had already guessed the truth. The two Benders circled each other. "I've spent years waiting for this encounter. Training, meditating. You're just a child!"

"Well you're just a teenager!" Aang replied. At this, Zuko swept his arms in the air and a gout of fire erupted from his palms, spraying towards Aang. Aang spun his staff, deflecting the fire. This continued for a few moments, until one of the bursts nearly hit the villagers! Aang looked back, and slammed his staff into the ground.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang asked, trying to reason for peace. Zuko nodded, and his guards took Aang by the shoulders and led him away. Katara broke free from the crowd.

"No, Aang, don't do this!" She cried after him. Tsuki walked forward and held her shoulder.

"Don't worry Katara, it'll be okay." Aang soothed as he was led away. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back!"

"Head a course to the Fire Nation!" Zuko called to his crew. "I'm going home." As the bridge was lifted, a hint of a smile could be seen on Aang's face.

* * *

TIME SKIP

* * *

The next morning, everyone was hard at work rebuilding the camp from where it had been destroyed. Tsuki was hard at work scrounging through the snow rubble, when he spotted Katara and Sokka talking to Gran-Gran near one of the water canals where the boats were stored. He jogged over, ready to ask them to help with the rebuilding, when Gran-Gran spoke.

"It's been so long since I've had hope, but you brought it back to life, my little Waterbender." She hugged Katara, and Tsuki lingered, trying to figure out what was going on. "And you, my brave warrior, be nice to your sister." She hugged Sokka as well.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll try…" Sokka replied.

"You found Aang the Avatar for a reason, and now your destinies are intertwined. You must find and help him!" Gran-Gran finished, waving goodbye as she left. Tsuki stood there, and there was an uncomfortable silence.

"You're going to find Aang, aren't you." It was more of a statement. He looked down for a moment, then looked up and smiled. "Good luck, you'll need it! I need to stay here and defend the villagers in case Zuko comes back." Katara ran forward and hugged him, and Sokka soon joined them. Katara's brown eyes stared into Tsuki's green eyes, a symbol of his different father.

"I'll miss you, Tsuki. I know we haven't had much time to know each other, but you're a full brother to me." Katara told him tearfully.

Tsuki hugged her back. "I'll miss you too. I know you two can make a difference in the world, if you help Aang!" And with that, the two saddled Appa and flew away, waving goodbye to the village as they flew. As the soared out of sight, Tsuki observed Katara find what he had stealthily put in her pocket.

A White Lotus Pai-Shou tile.

* * *

That was the end! Tell me what you think, and if you have any advice! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter! It's nice to have positive reinforcement. The image for the story is Tsuki, the best I could make him at least. Anyways, if you have any questions PM me. Onto the next chapter!**

 **Chapter 2**

Tsuki was lonely. Sure, he had the entire village to talk to, but it was either the adults, elderly, or the children. He enjoyed learning from the elders, and playing with the children, but it was a bit infuriating when nobody understood him on the same level that Katara and Sokka did. He had busied himself rebuilding the walls and the watchtowers, and while the children collected the snow into one large pile and worked on the base of the walls, he was packing in the ice higher up, where the children couldn't reach. He was getting more and more anxious, worrying about Katara, Sokka, and Aang, and whether Zuko would come back. If he did, Tsuki would have to fight him himself, and Tsuki knew from personal experience how powerful the prince was. Meditation was daily now, whereas before it was only when he felt especially stressed or lost. He had developed a daily routine; wake up, meditate, eat, train the children, eat, rebuild, eat, meditate, sleep. He had been doing this for the past three days since Aang was captured, and morale in the camp was low. The waterbender and the main hunter had left the tribe, and now, while there was enough to eat, everyone would need to work harder than ever. There was almost never a time when everyone was in the camp, save for when they all prayed for Sokka, Aang, and Katara.

Which was why nobody was ready when the Firebenders came.

They came that night, when the evening sea was misty and obscured. Their ship barely made a sound as it landed at an ice floe a short distance from the camp. Tsuki himself was bandaging his injured leg, a daily task as it needed to recover and there were no healers in the camp. He was just stepping back outside to keep watch, hoping nobody would be there so he wouldn't have to make himself hurt anyone, when a quiet _crunch_ was heard. The sound seemed loud, as there was little to no other sound in the vicinity, so Tsuki paused. He donned his helmet and started backing up to grab his glaive, which he had left leaning on the outside of the medicine hut, and his hand brushed the cold ice of the building. He turned, and his glaive was nowhere to be seen! He whipped his head back, ready to spark a flame, when a flash of red clothes blinded him and two sets of hands grabbed his arms and held them back, while another stuffed a wad of dry cloth in his mouth, muffling his shouts to the villagers. The hands binding him dragged him away, tying him up and continuing to walk him in a direction unknown to him, as the villagers slept in an oblivious slumber. Tsuki's thrashings were soon ceased by a club to the head.

* * *

TIME SKIP

* * *

Tsuki awoke to a prodding in his ribs. He opened his eyes blearily, confused for a moment on where he was, but then remembering in a flash.

"Get up, Prince Zuko wants to see you." One of the two guard standing above him prodded him again, forcing Tsuki to stand up. They walked down the hall, the heavy ropes tied with metal bars which weighed down the bonds encasing Tsuki's wrists making a loud clanking sound as he dragged his feet. The guards hadn't removed his helmet yet, so Tsuki wasn't likely to be recognized by Zuko or his men. They led him to a large, gilded door that had the crest of Zuko's family on it, a crest which Tsuki knew very well from his life in the Fire Nation. After all, it was branded onto the back of his neck. He shifted his cloak upwards with his shoulders, hiding the small part of it that may have been poking out from beneath his shirt. The Fire Nation guards pushed the doors open and yanked Tsuki inside.

The chamber was fairly well-decorated, with a few tapestries depicted the war and Fire Lord Ozai adorning the metal walls, covering up the well-polished steel that made up the Fire Nation warships. A set of iron scimitars sat in a frame on the wall, and four torches burned in each corner of the room, giving the room an overwhelming heat that only a Firebender could enjoy. Tsuki felt his energy increasing as the fire renewed his strength, even as the guards dragged him forward to where a robed Zuko sat on an armchair.

"Good job, soldiers. You may go now." A familiar raspy voice met Tsuki's ears as the guards nodded, dropped the ropes, and left the room. "You fought well, Water Tribe warrior. But now we have you as a captive, and the Avatar and his companions will have to stop and save you. After all, he has been quite… sentimental the past few times we sighted him. Always saving his friends, trying to be the "noble hero"." Zuko mused. "And now we have you, another reason for him to stop by our ship and get you." A flicker of flame shot out of Zuko's hand and stretched towards Tsuki, stopping just enough away from his face so that he wouldn't get burned. "But the part that intrigues me the most is how you, a supposedly regular warrior, managed to defeat three trained Firebenders with only a glaive! Just what kind of warrior are you?" Zuko leaned in closer, almost shouting. Tsuki looked up, staring into the familiar eyes of Prince Zuko. His face had changed from the last time he had saw him; he had become angrier, with more hate etched into his features, and a perpetual tired look haunted his features. Tsuki spoke, making sure to keep his voice a low, monotonous tone so that his voice couldn't be recognized.

"What's it to you, bastard prince?" He spat upwards into Zuko's face, the helmet he wore giving him just enough space to call forth the saliva and shoot it upwards. The banished son of the Fire Lord reeled back, and stared down at the chained teenager, standing up in fury.

"You insolent-"

"Prince Zuko, calm down. You do not need to get so angry over a simple warrior. Sit back down and enjoy some jasmine tea with me." Another voice interrupted from a chair to the left of Zuko, causing to sit back down reluctantly, still glaring at Tsuki. Tsuki's eyes widened. _I recognize that voice. General Iroh is here, too! I thought he would have gone back by now!_

"Fine, uncle." Zuko narrowed his eyes, leaning back into his chair. "So, I ask you again; who are you?" Iroh sat forward at this, apparently also eager to learn who Tsuki was. Tsuki swallowed hard, then slowly turned his eyes back up to Zuko, and spoke in a monotonous tone that hid rage and anger.

"I'd rather die than tell you!" Tsuki responded, bracing himself for the pain and fire that would follow. And follow it did. A jet of white-hot flame burst out of the prince's hand, curling around Tsuki's arms and sinking in, creating angry red blisters that swelled with pain. Tsuki groaned, instinctively leaning back to get away from the fire that haunted him. Then, just as quickly as it came, it stopped. Tsuki managed to look up and see General Iroh standing in front of Zuko, directing the fire away from the bound teenager crouching on the floor.

"Zuko, I said to calm down." Iroh looked Zuko in the eyes, and the prince looked away, and sat down once more.

"Well, that's just a taste of what I'll do to you if you don't cooperate." Zuko threatened. Suddenly, the prince's eyes sparked with an idea. "Let's take off your helmet, mysterious warrior, so I can remember your face and track you down if I need to." Tsuki tensed, his eyes widening with alarm. Zuko stood up, and walked forwards until he was in front of Tsuki. His pale hand rested on the base of the helmet until Tsuki couldn't take it any longer.

"Let's see…" Zuko trailed off as his eyes grew wide. Heat was rising off of Tsuki in waves, pulsing out of him like a living creature.

"First rule of fighting a Firebender; never tie them with ropes." Tsuki remarked, breaking free of his bonds easily. He stood up, and Zuko's fist flashed down at him, but he glanced it away with his arm. "I don't want to fight you, but judgement will be decided if you attack."

"Who are you?! A firebender in the Water Tribe?" Zuko hissed, taking a battle stance.

"That's none of your concern," Tsuki responded, crouching into a defensive position and stretching out his hand, causing a glaive made of fire to appear. In a flash the Zuko flung himself at Tsuki, but Tsuki was faster and dodged. His leg swung out and hit Zuko on the leg as he passed by, but Zuko retaliated by sending a gout of flame at Tsuki, causing him to jump back to avoid the flames. The two of them sent flames back and forth in an almost ethereal dance, and by the time Iroh's state of shock had worn off, both Benders were breathing heavily, sustaining light wounds all across their bodies. Zuko had a nasty burn along his leg and a throbbing headache, while Tsuki's arm was burnt from before, and his shoulder had been slashed by one of Zuko's swords. There was a slight standstill, and then both Firebenders flung a stream of fire at the other that met in the center of the room, and both struggled to overpower the other. Tsuki's flame inched forward bit by bit, but Zuko kicked out and a gout of flame spiralled toward Tsuki, burning his already-injured arm and causing the injured pacifist to flinch, the smell of flesh burning bringing back powerful, dangerous memories. Zuko took advantage of the moment to send forth a scorching ray of energy that pierced Tsuki's side. The Water Tribe warrior wobbled once, then fell. As Tsuki collapsed, the stream of fire he had been maintaining shot at Zuko one last time, and in his victory Zuko relaxed his muscles. The fire bolt hit him in the stomach, sending him flying back into unconsciousness. Iroh stood amongst the two Firebenders, and shook his head at the sight of an injured Zuko lying on the ground in a heap.

"How should I fix this…" Iroh thought out loud, glancing back and forth between the two unconscious teenagers. His eyes lingered on Tsuki, whose cloak had come somewhat undone, showing the inside of the cloak as well. His eyes followed the shape of a lotus engraved on the inside of the cloak, and his eyes widened. He also noticed that the Firebender's helmet had moved slightly up his face, revealing his mouth and chin. He hesitantly lifted the helmet further, revealing Tsuki's face, somewhat ashy from all of the fire being flung around. Iroh inhaled sharply, and dropped the helmet, embracing Tsuki. After a moment, he released the burnt Bender and placed his helmet back on his head.

Iroh quietly picked up Tsuki's limp body, and began walking up the nearby stairs to where a small rowboat was tied to the boat near a window. He first grabbed a bundle from a counter, and then carefully climbed out of the window, avoiding the attention of the guards, who were on their lunch break, and dropped down into the small boat. He gently laid Tsuki onto the boat, and took out a pencil and paper. He hastily wrote a note, and then placed it next to Tsuki, along with the bundle he had taken from the counter. Iroh lowered the boat down into the water, and carefully climbed back up into the room. With one last glance out to Tsuki's form, lying in the boat, Iroh turned back and began running to Zuko.

* * *

TIME SKIP

* * *

Tsuki awoke to a throbbing headache, and felt incredibly disoriented. He opened his eyes, squinting against the harsh sunlight that beat down from the sky. He tried sitting up, but the waves that beat against whatever he was in and the pain that stretched throughout his entire body made him lie back down again with a _huff_. He took a few deep breaths, and using the side of the apparent rowboat he was in managed to pull himself up. He inhaled sharply as the expanse of water all around him shimmered in the morning sun, and immediately pushed himself into a cross-legged position and used the sun's heat to meditate. He felt the passage of time around him fly by, and by the time he opened his eyes, it was midday. Tsuki started to look around more, and began to check the interior of the rowboat for any clue as to why and how he was there. He found a large bundle of food and waterskins, enough to last him at least a week, and he also found a small, folded piece of parchment. He unfolded it and began to read.

 _Tsukino,_

 _I know it has been a while since I last saw you. I am not going to ask how, or why you ended up back in the Southern Water Tribe. I am only going to let you know that my nephew Zuko is misguided. He has changed since you last saw him, and I'm sure you can tell it was not for the better. He does not know about you, so your secret is safe with me! I need you to help me help Zuko. He needs someone to guide him while I am not there. I help him the best I can, but he only sees me as an annoying uncle. You, however, he knows, and I feel you could get through to him easier. Please, Tsuki, I am asking you for a favor. It doesn't matter how long you wait, only that you help him before he finds the Avatar. Hopefully the next time we see each other, you can give me your answer._

 _Yours Truly,_

 _General Iroh_

And at the bottom, it was signed with the symbol of a white lotus.

* * *

 **So, what do you think? As always, please leave a comment and review; I love each and every comment, even if its criticism! Thank you to everyone for reading this, and I'll try to get out the next chapter out soon!**


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